Homicide

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities

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Homicide

Q:	How does juvenile homicide offending vary by age?
A:	Homicide offending increases with the age of the juvenile offender; in 2006, about 9% of known juvenile homicide offenders were under age 15, while 74% were ages 16 or 17.

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Trends in the number of known juvenile homicide offenders followed a similar pattern for all age groups: the number of known juvenile homicide offenders increased for all age groups between 1984 and 1994 and then declined between 1994 and 2003. However, older juveniles, those ages 16 and 17, accounted for the largest share of both the increase and the decline (about 70%).
The number of known juvenile homicide offenders increased in 2004, 2005, and 2006. For all age groups with the exception of the youngest juveniles (under age 14), the number of known juvenile homicide offenders was higher in 2006 than in 2003.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/offenders/qa03104.asp?qaDate=2006. Released on October 24, 2008.

Adapted from Puzzanchera, C. and Kang, W. (2008). Easy Access to the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports: 1980-2006. Available on-line at: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/ezashr/.

Data Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980–2006 [machine-readable data files]. Washington, D.C.: FBI.